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The Sports Desk – Dissecting The GT Sport Beta
Polyphony Digital is gearing up for the release of GT Sport on PS4 sometime this year, and I was fortunate to play a recent beta of the title, including some multiplayer. I've prepared some videos highlighting a few of the beta's features that may impact the final game.
The beta didn't have a lot of content per se, but I believe the main menu – with tabs listing Campaign, the Scapes photo feature (above), Online, Garage, Brand Central, VR Tour, Arcade, and more – will remain unchanged for the final release.
The focus of the beta is the Sport mode, which will later house the Nations Cup and Manufacturers Fan Cup, and is designed to allow players of different skill levels to compete against each other (more on that below). In the beta, there were three daily races at specific tracks with set perimeters like time of day, car requirement, etc., and within a 24 hr. period you have to put in your best qualifying time. This naturally determines your starting place in the 18-car online multiplayer field once the race window officially opens.
Note: The final product may vary from the details described in this beta. The videos below were taken from the PS4 Share function.
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BTW, for the video above I kept on the ghost car, but you can turn it on/off at anytime by hitting the right side of the big PS4 touchpad.
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Another way Sport mode tries to match racers is through Balance of Performance (BoP). These are modifiers to your car's horsepower, weight, and tires. For instance, a race may let you compete with a certain car, but if it's a BoP race, it'll then automatically adjust that car's HP, weight, and tires to make it competitive with other entrants.
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Have a suggestion or comment? Put it in the comments section below, send me an email, or reach me on twitter at @mattkato.
PRELIMINARY MADDEN 18 FEATURES REVEALED
A recent product listing on GameStop [Full Disclosure: Game Informer is owned by GameStop] has revealed a few features for the upcoming title. These of course, are just a few of the first drippings – AND THIS IS NOT THE FULL FEATURE SET – so there should be plenty more to come. We already know that the game is getting a Story mode similar to FIFA's The Journey (stay around until the end of the trailer), so this is just a taste. For more on the game, check out my Wishlist from last week's Sports Desk.
Target Passing: The description here talks about not being "tied to throwing to your open wide receiver." I'm not sure exactly what they're talking about here, unless they mean you can throw to a specific spot on the field. If this is the case, I'd be curious how the game matches these throws with the series' traditional pass catch animations. Will it produce more magnet catches?
Play Styles: Three styles are listed: Arcade (turns up the big plays and turns down the penalties), Simulation, and Competitive ("Your stick skills are key, earn big rewards for your skill or receive bigger penalties").
Coverage Assignment: This describes a real-time, onscreen indicator that tells you your pass assignment, which sounds like an extension of the pre-snap information. The real question is: Will the game let you shadow a specific receiver?
Coach Assignment: "Customize the A.I. to fit your gameplan and make situational changes to your strategy on the fly as the game demands it." I like the sound of this, and hopefully your players can execute your orders – whatever form that takes – correctly on the field.
Frostbite: The listing mentions stadium exteriors (including cityscapes), fireworks, players running out of the tunnel, and weather. No mention of a Story mode, which has already been alluded to in the game's initial trailer.
Play Now Live: You can play the weekly matchups using the most recent rosters, stats, and custom commentary. This sounds similar to a feature FIFA has had for a few years.
THE TICKER
A quick rundown of some of the sports news from the week.
Tom Brady Named Madden NFL 18 Cover Athlete
MLB the Show 17 Devs Announce "Make Good" Goodies For Server Problems
PES Mobile Title Coming With More Gameplay Focus
Update Coming For 3on3 Freestyle Basketball, Including New Street Ball Character
For more on the game, check out my previous coverage.
Project Cars 2 Trailer Shows Off The McLaren 720S
Dirt 4 Talks To Real-Life Rally Drivers
Gameplay footage included.
